六祖大師法寶壇經 1.163

1.163

大師名惠能，父盧氏，諱行瑫，唐武德三年九月，左官新州。母李氏，先夢庭前白華競發，白鶴雙飛，異香滿室，覺而有娠。遂潔誠齋戒，懷姙六年師乃生焉，唐貞觀十二年戊戌歲二月八日子時也。時毫光騰空，香氣芬馥。黎明有二僧造謁，謂師之父曰：「夜來生兒，專為安名，可上惠下能也。」父曰：「何名惠能？」僧曰：「惠者以法惠濟眾生，能者能作佛事。」言畢而出，不知所之。師不飲母乳，遇夜神人灌以甘露。三歲父喪，葬於宅畔。母守志鞠養，既長鬻薪供母。年二十有四，聞經有省。往黃梅參禮，五祖器之，付衣法，令嗣祖位，時龍朔元年辛酉歲也。

The Great Master's personal name was Huineng; his father was of the Lu clan, taboo name Xingtao. In the ninth month of the third year of the Wude era of the Tang, he was demoted to an official post in Xinzhou. His mother was of the Li clan. Earlier, she dreamed that white flowers bloomed profusely in the courtyard, a pair of white cranes flew together, and an extraordinary fragrance filled the room; upon waking, she was pregnant. She thereupon kept clean and sincere, observing the vegetarian precepts; after carrying him for six years, the Master was born, at the zi hour on the eighth day of the second month in the wuxu year, the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang. At that time, rays of light soared into the sky and a fragrant scent was diffuse. At dawn, two monks came to visit and said to the Master's father: "The child born last night should specifically be given a name: he may be called Hui above and Neng below." The father said: "Why should he be named Huineng?" The monk said: "'Hui' means to benefit and relieve sentient beings with the Dharma; 'Neng' means being able to perform Buddha-work." Having spoken, they departed, and their whereabouts were unknown. The Master did not drink his mother's milk; at night divine beings poured amṛta for him. When he was three years old, his father died and was buried beside the house. His mother maintained her devotion and raised him. When he grew up, he sold firewood to provide for his mother. At the age of twenty-four, upon hearing a sūtra, he had an awakening. He went to Huangmei to pay homage; the Fifth Patriarch recognized his capacity, transmitted the robe and Dharma to him, and ordered him to succeed to the patriarchal seat. It was then the xinyou year, the first year of the Longshuo era.